The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1887-06-19
A TOUCHING DEATH SCENE.
DIR. BIRD TELLING OFF THE PASSING
SECONDS OF HIS LIFE.
Gathering HIS Family Around Him and
Telling Them at What Moment He
Would Breathe His L.ast-The Fun
eral tomorrow.

Gathering HIS Family Around Him and
Telling Them at What Moment He
Would Breathe His Last-The Fun
eral Tomorrow.
The scene at the death of DR.. John Q
Bird, who was poisoned through cut on
his hand while making post norton ex-
animation of body at the City Hospital
ten days ago, was an unusually pathetic
one During all Of lis illness he was
watching the progress of the poison as it
coursed through his system, and every daJ
when DR.. Varick called, he told him just
where he needed treatment, and what the
chances of his living were. Last Thursday
evening when DR.. Varick visited him, the
suffering patient parted from him forever
.sGood-by, DOCTOR" he said sYou will
not see me again. / will die before many
hours. You have done all that human
skill could do to save me, but was past
salvation"
During the night he called his family
around him, and manfully announced that
he was dying. He had no fear of death, he
said, but he had not realized his life ambi-
tons, and he would fain have lived lo,ge
He held one finger on his pulse, and from
time to time announced the number of
minutes he had to live. He was
conscious up to the last. and
with his last breath declared that
the end had come. DIR. Birds death
is mourned by an immense circle of
friends who have met him, socially and in
business. He was friend to the poor
He gave his attendance to many families
without recompense; frequently had the
prescriptions compounded at his own ex-
pense, and sent them with baskets Of pro-
80 ha "a tIo Ii
funeral will be as private as the circum-
stances will admit His family request as
little display as possible, and committees
of the various organizations with which be
was connected have had their offers of es-
cort declined. There will however be
police escort. The funeral services will
be held tomorrow and the interment will
be in Arlington Cemetery.
The doctors assurances in the benz fit
societies with which he was connected. ag-
gregate, it is said, about $4,000 Beyond
those, he left littls or no property.
A coincidence meeting of the Medical
Board of the City Hospital was held yes
terday and suitable resolutions were passed,
among others one requesting the Police
Board to keep the doctors position vacant
for q year as mark of respect. There
were present Drs. T. r. Varick, l. N.
Qulmbys b. G. watson, d. II. MeGlH, L. D :.
Mclaughlin, w. w. Yarck, w. ]. Parker.
A. j. LOOMS, j. Fl. Finnerty and P. HON.
mil, DR.. I. r. Yarick, President in the
chair.
The Police Board held q meeting later in
the day and with suitable action; and in
the evening the Fifth District Republicans
met at the Avenue House and did likewise
and appointed a committee to attend the
funeral.
At the Fifth District meeting. R. Morri-
son occupied the chair and j. j. Bechtold
acted as Secretary. Eighteen members
were present. A committee on resolutions
was appointed consisting of Messrs. Doug
lass, Hopkins and Sutherland; also COM
mittee to attend the funeral, consisting of
Messrs. Pangborn, Reed, Mills, Van Horn,
Nelson and Morrison. 1t was also decided
to have suitable floral offering. Suitable
resolutions we're adopted.